Youth unite:
After hosting Taiwanese
students last month, four
Elgin Park students are
preparing to visit China and
experience another culture.
see page 111

P E N I N S U L A

w w w. p e a c e a r c h n e w s . c o m

Public market property to be sold instead

Salvation Army loses out on land gift
Kevin Diakiw
Black Press

Evan Seal photo

Property is again listed for sale.

The owner of the Surrey Public Market is no
longer donating the property to the Salvation
Army, Black Press has learned.
Three years ago, officials at the Salvation
Army learned Walter Chan, owner of Smitty’s
Restaurants, was giving them the 7.7-acre property at 64 Avenue and King George Boulevard.
That’s recently changed – for-sale signs have

gone back up on the property and the Sally Ann
is moving on to other things.
“It’s for sale,” Chan confirmed in a telephone
interview from Calgary.
He wouldn’t comment on why the gift to the
Salvation Army fell through.
“Why are we accountable to you?” Chan said.
“I have no comments.”
Maj. Russ Holland, a pastor with the Salvation Army, said the three-year process was a

distressing exercise.
“We got the letter of a gift in kind back in the
late part of November last year,” Holland said
Monday. “Then we were just waiting for the
deed or the title to come to us.”
They waited months, and then made contact
with Chan’s brother, Donald, who is selling the
property for the restaurant magnate.
“He says ‘oh, it’s just not going to happen,’”
see page 4

Four-vehicle collision

Chain reaction
ends with a
breathalyzer
Police are recommending impaired-driving
charges in connection with a four-vehicle
crash at 24 Avenue and 152 Street Monday.
Traffic northbound on 152 Street was
backed up for several blocks following the
chain-reaction collision, which occurred
around 4:30 p.m. and involved a transit bus.
Police, fire and ambulance crews responded
to the scene, where one driver blew a fail on
a roadside screening device.
According to the police report, the northbound bus was rear-ended by a newer Kia,
which was rear-ended by a Toyota RAV,
which was rear-ended by a GMC Jimmy.
No injuries were reported. The Jimmy was
impounded and one woman arrested in connection with the collision.
Charges are anticipated against a 48-yearold White Rock resident.
- Tracy Holmes

Brian Giebelhaus photo

Four vehicles – including a bus – were involved in a chain-reaction crash Monday evening when the last vehicle failed to stop in time.

The owner of a South Surrey
animal rescue shelter and talent
agency is under investigation, following complaints from the public
regarding the animals in his care.
But Gary Oliver says he believes
the BC SPCA is simply trying to
make an example of him in a quest
to rid B.C. of exotic animals.

“They’ve got nothing on me, they
really don’t,” Oliver said this week.
Oliver, who runs the non-profit
Urban Safari Rescue Society and
Cinemazoo Animal Agency, took
over space at 1395 176 St. – the former home of the Rainforest Reptile
Refuge – in August. His creatures
include everything from insects
and birds to snakes and caimans.
Concerns were raised by the

public last month, said BC SPCA
investigator Eileen Drever.
Visits to the facility resulted in “a
number of orders,” Drever said.
“We have concerns with respect
to the number and welfare of
the animals,” Drever said, noting
necropsies ordered on caimans
that died at the facility are hoped
to help determine if the animals
were neglected.

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“Mr. Oliver states that he’s doing
the best that he can, but if animals
have suffered as a result, that’s not
good enough.”
Oliver has been given a deadline
to address the issues raised, SPCA
spokesperson Lorie Chortyk said.
Chortyk declined to identify specifics, citing the ongoing investigation, but noted that if Oliver
doesn’t comply, legal action could

be the next step.
Oliver said he is confident the BC
SPCA is responding to complaints
from a disgruntled employee who
“tried to stir up a can of worms.”
Drever said the BC SPCA is “trying to be reasonable.”
“We want to help him along.
We’re just out to ensure the animals’ welfare is being taken care
of.”

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2

Peace Arch News Friday, November 12, 2010

news

WE PAY CASH!!!

Surrey paid price in war
A

man, whose family
s Canadians
had a farm between
gathered at
Cloverdale and Langley.
cenotaphs
Sommer showed
across the country on
photos of him on leave
Thursday, the chances
with his family, and it
are that very few of
is obvious that
them felt
he was greatlya personal
Frank Bucholtz
loved and
connection
admired.
with one of
One week
the names
before the war
engraved there.
ended, Bates
That’s as true
was killed at
in Surrey as it
Valenciennes
is anywhere.
(Belgium)
Yet Warren
— on Nov. 4,
Sommer’s
1918. His name
research
and the date of
into the
his death are
contribution to
inscribed on
the First World
the cenotaph,
War by Surrey
something I had to
and Langley residents
check out for myself
has made that distant
after the lecture.
conflict much more
I don’t know how
personal.
The Langley historian old Bates was when he
died, but a guess based
elaborated on this at
on the photo was that
a lecture Saturday at
the Surrey Museum in
he was in his early 20s.
Sommer outlined
Cloverdale, showing
the magnitude of
maps of the Western
the slaughter in his
front during the war,
remarks, but it is hard
paintings, photos
to comprehend. More
taken after battles
than one million
and current photos
Commonwealth
of many of the bestsoldiers were killed in
known battlegrounds.
France and Belgium,
He and his wife, Bev,
former head of heritage and the photos
services for Surrey,
Sommer showed of
graveyards scattered
toured many of the
locations in France and across the peaceful
countryside are a
Belgium that many
stark contrast with the
Canadians know only
images most of us have
by name earlier this
seen of the First World
year.
War.
He also outlined the
Almost 60,000 of
history of the original
those killed were
First World War
Canadians.
cenotaph in Surrey,
Another point that he
which is now located
made bears repeating.
just a short distance
About one in 10 Surrey
from where it was first
erected, on the grounds young men went off to
war from 1914 to 1918.
of what was then the
Those who signed up
Surrey municipal hall
early were concerned
in Cloverdale.
that the war would end
He showed photos of
too soon for them to
some of the individual
take part.
soldiers from Surrey
They were sadly
and Langley who
mistaken – it dragged
served in the war.
on for more than four
Most of those he has
years.
researched were killed
In its own way, the
in action. He told what
First World War was
he had learned about
almost as devastating
their backgrounds and
for Surrey as it was
families.
for many European
I got a much better
communities. While
sense of how the war
affected individuals last there were no battles
here or anywhere else
fall when reading A
in North America, the
Fine View of the Show,
level of commitment
a book based largely
and sacrifice was
on letters from the
incredible.
front by Aldergrove’s
With 10 per cent
Hector Jackson. His
of the population
nephew, Andrew, put
enlisting, and keeping
together the book after
in mind that the
considerable research,
population figure
and it is available on
includes everyone,
amazon.com
male, female, adult
Sommer kept
and child, it left a gap
mentioning the name
in the community that
of one Surrey man —
affected everyone.
Alexander “Sandy”
Bates.
If such an occurrence
Bates was a sturdy,
were to take place
today, it would mean
good-looking young

...and
frankly
a y

more than 40,000
members of the Surrey
community leaving to
go to war. Everyone
would be personally
affected.
While the vast
majority of those who
enlisted came back,
a number lost their
lives. They are the ones
whose names are on
our cenotaph.
It’s worth
remembering that they
were young men, full of

life, with a tremendous
amount to offer. The
same holds true today
of our soldiers in
Afghanistan.
As a community, we
must remember them
and their sacrifices, so
that we can enjoy a way
of life that is the envy
of the world.
Frank Bucholtz writes
Fridays for the Peace
Arch News. He is the
editor of the Langley
Times.

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Friday, November 12, 2010 Peace Arch News

3

news
Shortage of wheelchair-accessible vehicles

Hail of criticism
over taxi cabs
Tracy Holmes
Staff Reporter

Up in
smoke

Boaz Joseph photo

A fire at a Surrey lumber mill Monday forced police to block traffic for several hours. Smoke
from the blaze at Dhaliwal Cedar at 14630 66 Ave. created a towering black plume visible for
miles. RCMP temporarily shut down traffic on 144 Street between 64 Avenue and Hyland Road.

Christmas is still more than a
month away, but a South Surrey
family already knows there will
be one empty seat at the table this
year.
Burt Millards’ loved ones say they
can’t risk having to push the frail
senior all the way home again –
late at night, in the cold and snow.
That’s what happened last Dec.
25, after the Millards couldn’t get
a wheelchair taxi to get then-83year-old Burt Millard back to Morgan Place Care Facility, located
nearly four kilometres from their
Madrona Drive home, where he
had been visiting with his son’s
family.
Brian Giebelhause photo
Even wrapped in blankets, “he Burt Millard, with daughter-in-law
was freezing” during the trek, Chris and granddaughter Krystal.
Chris Millard said of her father-ina trip for her father-in-law. Other
law, who has Parkinson’s.
“They don’t have enough wheel- than that, she said it’s been sugchair taxis to serve the need that’s gested they call for an ambulance if
they’re stuck – a move she doesn’t
out there.”
The Christmas conundrum wasn’t want to make, for fear of pulling
the first time Burt Millard has been the service away from a medical
left in transport limbo. The same emergency.
And while Chris
thing happened last
summer and the sum- ❝Definitely, we’d like Millard said efforts to
express her concerns
mer before. And just
to get down to the
to the taxi company
last week, he missed
bottom of this.❞
have left the impresa dentist appointment
Tim Land
sion no one cares,
after a taxi booked by
his daughter-in-law White Rock/South Surrey Taxi White Rock/South
Surrey Taxi manager
two days in advance
Tim Land said that is
failed to show up to get him there.
The explanation they received at not the case.
Land conceded volume does
the time was there were no taxis in
sometimes out-strip what his 10
the area.
“You’d think if they had booked a wheelchair vans can handle, but he
time two days before, that should said Millard’s woes are news to him
be enough time,” Burt Millard said, – and he wants to address them.
“That’s not good at all,” Land
noting he was “a little cheesed” by
said. “Definitely, we’d like to get
the experience.
Chris Millard said she’s con- down to the bottom of this.”
Land disputed information given
cerned the problem is only going
to get worse, given the area’s aging by Chris Millard that Pacific Cabs
population. She said while Handy- has a monopoly on providing the
Dart is an option, a 45-minute service locally. There is another
window required for each booking Whalley-based company able to do
means the teaching assistant has it, he said – they just don’t like to
to take a sick day to accommodate make the trip south.

Some convalescent-care patients deemed
to be in financial hardship aren’t paying the
province’s controversial new $29.40 per day
fee for room and board while they recover
from a hospital stay.
Fraser Health spokesman Roy Thorpe said
this week that hardship waivers have so far
been granted to 30 patients, or close to 10
per cent of the 315 patients admitted to convalescent care units since April 19, when the
new fees took effect.
Only one patient who requested a waiver
has been denied, Thorpe said, and, in most
cases, the waivers eliminated the fee altogether.
Patients who request a waiver must provide
financial statements. There is no income
cutoff to be eligible – the health authority
instead judges the patients’ financial abil-

ity to pay based on a combination of their
income, rent, medical and other costs.
Critics of the fees say they cause stress to
the patients – most of whom are over 75
– and might even contravene the Canada
Health Act.
“Seniors cannot afford it,” said Alice Edge,
co-chair of the BC Health Coalition. “If
people are receiving medically necessary
treatment or care, user fees should not be
introduced.”
Convalescent care is for patients who have
been discharged from hospital but need
more time to recover under supervised care,
provided in several residential care homes
around the region.
There are concerns some patients will try
to go home sooner than they should because
of the fees, or else may refuse to go into convalescent care and remain in hospital, occupying beds needed for acute patients and

contributing to hospital congestion.
convalescent care fee,” Thorpe said.
Edge said calls began to pour in
Thorpe was unable to estimate
to the coalition since August as bills
the total of bills sent to patients in
started to go out and more people
Fraser Health so far.
became aware of the new charges.
But since patients stay in conva“I think it’s inappropriate,” North
lescent care an average of seven
Delta businessman Firth Bateman
weeks, the payments could add up
told the Fraser Health board last
to at least $1,400 per patient – worth
week. “Can we not be more cremore than $400,000 to Fraser Health
ative about bringing money and
to date.
Kevin Falcon
resources into the health care sysFraser Health CEO Nigel Murray
tem than simply slapping a toll on health minister referred questions about the governthat very unfairly hits people who
ment’s policy of charging the convacan’t afford to pay?”
lescent care fees to the Ministry of Health.
Patients who don’t pay their bill could be
Health Minister Kevin Falcon – MLA for
chased by a collection agency, but Fraser Surrey-Cloverdale – has continued to mainHealth officials say those who don’t want to tain the fees are an appropriate and reasonable contribution to room and board costs.
pay won’t be denied care.
There are convalescent care units in Sur“Patients are never discharged from hospital because they refuse to go to a convales- rey, White Rock, Langley, Abbotsford and
cent care unit where they’ll be subject to the Chilliwack.

4

Peace Arch News Friday, November 12, 2010

news

Fonyo remains in custody
Hannah Sutherland & Dan Ferguson
Black Press

Steve Fonyo is to remain in
custody and appear in Surrey
Provincial Court next Friday.
The 45-year-old – who has
been charged with one count of
uttering threats against wife Lisa
Greenwood – appeared for a bail
hearing Wednesday, when a new
court date was set for Nov. 19.
The crown initially suggested
Fonyo, 45, not have contact with
Greenwood – who was in attendance – at which point Fonyo
called out “That’s my wife” from
the prisoner’s box.
“Stay focused Mr. Fonyo,” Judge
J.W. Jardine said. “You have very

good counsel; you may wish to
have him do the speaking for
you.”
After a break in proceedings –
during which prosecution was
instructed to speak with Greenwood – Crown agreed to the date
and did not seek other orders.
Fonyo was arrested for uttering threats against Greenwood in
Surrey Nov. 7.
Greenwood told reporters outside the courtroom at Fonyo’s
first court appearance Monday
that she and her husband got into
an argument Sunday because he
was stressed out over finances.
He hadn’t been paid for work
he’d done, Greenwood said, and

their argument escalated to the
point where she called police.
She didn’t want him charged.
By law, police are required to
lay charges in domestic assault
cases even if the alleged victim
withdraws their complaint.
It’s another legal crisis for the
one-legged runner, who made an
historic run across Canada for
cancer research in 1985.
Earlier this year, the Surrey
resident was arrested for credit
card fraud, nearly scuttling his
planned wedding at Fonyo Beach
in Victoria on Aug. 28, but he
was subsequently released from
jail after an unidentified benefactor put up the $20,000 bail.

Owner must clean property: Watts
from page 1
Holland said. To this day, the Salvation Army doesn’t know why
the donation fell through.
“We just have to move on,”
Holland said, adding it’s been a
disheartening experience for the
Salvation Army.
“We had our dreams and our
hopes, planning,” Holland said.
“That corner obviously has a
really high potential to do some
good things for the community.”
The Sally Ann was working
on plans to create seniors’ and
affordable housing on the site.
Donald Chan said the asking

price is $7.5 million for the property and said the location could
be used for retail and residential.
Mayor Dianne Watts said Tuesday she’s extremely distressed
with the continued delays in redeveloping the property, adding
the city will begin enforcing its
unsightly premises bylaw.
“We have been trying to redevelop that site for quite some
time,” Watts said, adding several
proponents have come forward
with “excellent” plans to purchase
the property.
“Then, when it comes to the
eleventh hour, everything falls

apart.
“This has happened time and
time and time again, and for us,
as a city, it’s very frustrating.”
Watts said the city will be
informing Chan to clean up the
property, or it will be done for
him and the bill will be added to
his property taxes.
“It’s been an eyesore, we’ve been
trying to get the owner to work
with us in terms of re-developing
that site,” Watts said, adding it
needs to get cleaned up quickly,
“because we’ve been waiting
too long for the owner to take
action.”

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6

Peace Arch News Friday, November 12, 2010

news

CITY NEWS

Surrey
council
has
agreed to
preserve
Sullivan
Hall.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING NOVEMBER 15, 2010
Evan Seal photo

Sullivan Hall to be
preserved, protected
Kevin Diakiw
Black Press

A long-fought battle to preserve one
of Sullivan’s most significant heritage
buildings has been won.
Last week, Surrey council agreed to
enter into a Heritage Revitalization
Agreement to preserve Sullivan Hall,
at 6306 152 St. A bylaw will be drafted
to provide the hall further protection.
Kelly MacNamara is the grandson
of Wes Gillis, a Sullivan homesteader,
who was a lifetime member of the
association that owns the hall.
About five years ago, MacNamara
made it his mission to rescue the last
piece of history in the area.
A staff report to council indicated
the hall is an important fixture in the
Sullivan and is worth saving.
“Sullivan Hall is one of the last
remaining significant historic build-

ings of the former Sullivan Village and
has been listed on the Surrey Heritage
Register for over 10 years,” the staff
report states.
“The Hall is an excellent candidate
for longer-term conservation.”
MacNamara is pleased to have the
structure under protection.
“I’m pretty happy,” MacNamara said.
“Maybe 15 years ago, the hall was not
old enough to be considered a heritage
building.”
He said now that it’s 75 years old and
the fact that the community has lost
several heritage buldings (including
the Wes Gillis House), the hall has a
higher degree of importance.
“There’s actually nothing left except
the hall,” MacNamara said. “Although
it may seem early to put it into heritage, you just never know what’s going
to happen.”

NOTICE is hereby given that the Council of the City of White Rock will hold a Public
Meeting in City Hall COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 15322 Buena Vista Avenue, White Rock, BC,
on Monday, November 15, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in accordance with the White Rock Planning
Procedures Bylaw, 2009, No. 1869. At the Public Meeting, all persons who deem their
interest in property is affected by the proposed Development Variance Permit shall be
afforded an opportunity to be heard or to present written submissions reflecting matters
contained in the application that is the subject of the Public Meeting.
DEVELOPMENT VARIANCE PERMIT 316
A Development Variance Permit to vary the rear yard setbacks for both
1285 and 1295 Kent Street
APPLICANT:

Peter Cross

CIVIC ADDRESS: 1285 and 1295 Kent Street
PURPOSE:

The purpose of DVP 316 is to vary the rear yard setbacks for:
1285 Kent Street from 7.5m to 6.3m
1295 Kent Street from 7.5m to 6.0m
The objective is to retain the two existing houses and to allow the
subdivision of the back part of both properties to create a new RS-1 lot.
See the Site Map below.

Should you have any comments or concerns you wish to convey to Council and you
cannot attend the public meeting, please submit in writing to the City Clerk by
4:30 p.m., Monday, November 15, 2010. You may forward your submissions by:
• mailing or delivering to the City Clerk’s Office at White Rock City Hall,
15322 Buena Vista Avenue, White Rock, B.C. V4B 1Y6; or

We pay
the HST

• faxing to 604.541.9348; or
• e-mailing the City Clerk at tarthur@city.whiterock.bc.ca with “DVP 316” typed
in the subject line.
Please Note: Council may not receive further submissions from the public or interested
persons concerning the application after the Public Meeting is concluded.

Limited

time off

er.

NO HST!

Copies of the above proposed application may be inspected in the City Clerk’s Office
at White Rock City Hall, 15322 Buena Vista Avenue, White Rock, BC, from Tuesday,
October 26, 2010 until Monday, November 15, 2010, between the hours of
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding weekends and statutory holidays.

CU

www.city.whiterock.bc.ca

U
LT

RE

C OM M I T M E N T

COM
MU
NIT
Y

Friday, November 12, 2010 Peace Arch News

news

Berner to be sentenced today
Carol Berner, the driver who individuals who may be tempted
struck and killed four-year-old to get behind the wheel after conAlexa Middelaer, will learn today suming alcohol,” Wendel said.
She described the consequences
(Friday) if she will go to jail for
her decision to drink and drive.
of Berner’s choice that day as
Berner, 58, was convicted in “enormous.”
July of impaired driving
Gulbransen also heard
causing death, impaired
six victim-impact statements, including from
driving causing bodily
harm, dangerous driving
Alexa’s parents, grandparents and brother.
causing death and dangerous driving causing
The blond youngster
was a student in Cresbodily harm in conneccent Beach at the time
tion with the May 2008
of her death.
crash that also injured
Alexa’s aunt.
Her mother, Laurel,
Judge Peder Gulbransen
is a principal at SouthCarol Berner
ridge School in South
heard submissions on
in court
Surrey.
sentencing in Surrey ProDefense counsel David
vincial Court Monday,
where prosecutor Kim Wendel Tarnow argued against jail time
argued a sentence of three to for his client, submitting Berner
five years imprisonment on each has already been punished – by
count – to be served concur- the public, by media and by her
rently – would be appropriate, own guilt. She lives in a cold
along with a five- to seven-year trailer on native land, relies on
driving prohibition.
the food bank and can’t go any“A custodial sentence is neces- where “without being noticed or
sary to deter other like-minded ridiculed,” he said.

Jail would be a dangerous place
for Berner, he added.
“In prison, Ms. Berner will
be known as a person who has
caused the death of a child. Her
life in prison will no doubt be
in danger,” Tarnow told Gulbransen.
While Wendel had asked Gulbransen to consider the principles
of general deterrence, denunciation, retribution and rehabilitation in sentencing Berner, Tarnow expressed concern with the
connection many make between
retribution and vengeance.
“Retribution is on the minds of
many today,” Tarnow said. “The
overtones of that concept is quite
clear from everything that’s been
said about this case outside of
the court.”
Tarnow asked Gulbransen for
“restraint” in sentencing Berner.
“This lady should not be going
to jail,” he said.
(For the latest updates, visit
www.peacearchnews.com)
- Tracy Holmes

Surrey man faces luring charges
A police officer posed as a 13-year-old girl on the
Internet who was willing to have sex with an older
man.
Now, a 26-year-old Surrey resident has been
arrested by the Vancouver Police Department
(VPD) vice unit.
Robert John Harmsworth was apprehended in
Surrey Sunday and charged with one count of communicating via a computer to lure a child under 14
years of age.
In early September, according to the VPD, a vice
investigator posing as a young girl on the Internet

was contacted by an online user, and they began
exchanging emails of a sexual nature.
Arrangements were made between the two to
meet, and Harmsworth was arrested at a Surrey
SkyTrain station.
Police say they searched Harmsworth’s residence
and seized several pieces of evidence, including a
computer and other data storage devices.
Harmsworth was released on bail after appearing
in Vancouver Provincial Court Monday. His next
court appearance is set for Nov. 22.
– Black Press

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8

Peace Arch News Friday, November 12, 2010

opinion
Peace Arch News
Published at White Rock by Black Press Ltd.

editorial

No one stepping
forward yet for
premier’s job
t’s the job no one wants – at least not right
now.
Last week, Premier Gordon Campbell stated
that he is stepping down, as his personality had
become so entangled with the issue of the HST
that the business of government was getting
bogged down.
Right away, there were rumours of many
potential candidates, from within the Liberal
cabinet and caucus, and outside.
As of this writing, no one has stepped forward.
Several people have said no. They include
John Furlong, the CEO of the Olympics organizing committee; Carole Taylor, former finance
minister, and Aboriginal Relations Minister
Barry Penner.
Several others are said to be interested, but
remain coy.
They include Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and
Health Minister Kevin Falcon – both of whom
are residents of South Surrey – as well as
Fort Langley-Aldergrove MLA Rich Coleman, a
14-year MLA who has held many cabinet positions. He is currently solicitor general, and minister of public safety.
Education Minister George Abbott said in
an interview Wednesday that he is definitely
interested, but he needs to find out final details
about the leadership selection process from the
BC Liberal party. He suggested the leadership
issue should be decided as soon as possible,
preferably before the legislative session begins
in February.
Abbott also made the intriguing comment that
all potential candidates from within cabinet
have agreed that the party, and particularly
MLAs, must rally around the new leader. He
said the government has dug itself into a deep
hole with the public, and only a united party has
a chance of digging its way out.
Abbot’s point about the public’s opinion of the
government is a very important one.
It is also a very important factor in keeping the
number of leadership candidates down. Anyone
who has embraced the government’s handling
of the HST issue, and that includes all members
of cabinet and caucus, with the notable exception of Blair Lekstrom, is tainted in the minds of
many members of the public.
It’s no wonder so few are stepping forward to
express interest in the premier’s job.

I

?

question
week
of the

Decisions of life and
death made in a flash

T

he male voice on the other side
one between their ears. In seconds they
of the door was the first sign of
must assess the situation, categorize the
trouble.
risks and determine the most effective
I was delivering a subpoena to a woman response. There’s a nice drawing of how
who was supposed to appear in court
this model is supposed to work pasted on
after being assaulted by her husband.
the wall in the “apartment” where we’re
He wasn’t supposed to be there.
staging our scenarios.
This was the last in a series of
The challenge, says RCMP
Greg Knill
scenarios framed around this
Cpl. Steve Hiscoe, a use-of-force
basic premise. Organized for
instructor with the PRTC, is
the media at the RCMP’s Pacific
to understand the model and
Regional Training Centre in
translate it into action quickly.
Chilliwack, the scenarios were
Scenario-based training is
intended to illustrate the type of
intended to help officers deal
training police undergo.
with the unexpected. It’s like a
Each year more than 2,000
“stress inoculation,” Hiscoe says,
RCMP members from across
that will inure them to the chaos
British Columbia attend weekof the moment, and help them
long courses at the PRTC. A
make clear-headed choices.
part of that rotation takes them
My hands are already shaking
inside “the blue bubble” on
as I cinch up the belt that holds
Keith Wilson Road – a purposemy retractable baton, my pepper
built facility that gives officers a chance
spray and a handgun that’s been loaded
to act out life-like scenarios in a safe
with f/x rounds. I’ve got an armoured vest
and controlled environment. More
on, and a helmet with a visor that makes
importantly, it gives them a chance to
me look and sound like Darth Vadar.
talk about what they did and explain the
Hiscoe sketches the scenario – to a
reasons for the actions they took.
point. My job is to react, then explain
Every day police encounter situations
what I did and why.
that could end badly. Ensuring they don’t
The door opens and I sense trouble.
is the product of training.
The male tells me the woman isn’t home
At their disposal is a fairly limited
and identifies himself as her husband. He
arsenal, ranging from their power of
says they’ve worked things out. But there’s
persuasion, to the weapon at their side.
tension in his voice.
But perhaps the most important tool is
There’s a court order prohibiting the

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regulations be watered down?
Vote online at www.peacearchnews.com

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Editor

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Walters
Sales manager

2010
2010 WINNER

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man from contact with his wife, so I tell
him he’s under arrest. His anger rises
and things start to move fast. He moves
toward me swearing, then backs away.
He opens a kitchen drawer and I
glimpse a gun. As I struggle to unholster
mine, he yells he’ll count to five then “put
me six feet under!”
I yell at him to put down his gun.
He cocks his weapon and counts.
At three I fire into his chest and he
drops to the floor.
It’s over within seconds.
I hear Hiscoe’s voice behind me,
prompting me to pick up the man’s
weapon, otherwise I would have just
stood there.
It was only an exercise, but my every
nerve is on fire.
We sit down and Hiscoe asks me to
explain what happened. I was sent to
serve a subpoena, he says, and now
there’s a man dead on the floor. Why?
That accountability has become even
more important since high-profile cases
like the death of Robert Dziekanski.
Since then, the court of public opinion
has been as quick as it has been damning,
particularly if speculation is fueled by an
absence of fact.
“We need to articulate our actions
better than we have,” Hiscoe says.
If officers are going to go into
dangerous situations, they need the tools
to explain their actions in a way that is
honest and reflective of the multitude
of circumstances they encountered and
dealt with in a split second, he says.
The goal is to illuminate – not obfuscate
the event – so lessons can be learned,
lives can be saved, and incidents avoided.
Greg Knill is editor of the Chilliwack
Progress, a Peace Arch News sister paper.

The Peace Arch News is a member of the British
Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body
governing the province’s newspaper industry. The
council considers complaints from the public about
the conduct of member newspapers. Directors
oversee the mediation of complaints, with input
from both the newspaper and the complaint holder.
If talking with the editor or publisher does not
resolve your complaint about coverage or story
treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council.
Your written concern, with documentation, should
be sent within 45 days to B.C. Press Council,
201 Selby street, Nanaimo, B.C., V9R-2R2. For
information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.
bcpresscouncil.org

letters

Friday, November 12, 2010 Peace Arch News

9

Peace Arch News

Use disability
permits wisely
Editor:
I am amazed at how many people
get their handicapped permits but
never read the letter that comes
with it.
It says on the the bottom of the
letters, “You must remove the
permit from the rear-view mirror
when you drive,” as it is against
the law to drive with the permit
hanging due to obstructed vision.
Are they too lazy to take them off
or do they forget to take them off? I
am hoping it’s not the latter.
Read the letter, ladies and
gentlemen, and make sure you need
that space. And lending your permit
out to your children can get the
permit taken away also.
Pattie Smith, Surrey

their travel expense when
Q
they stay home from work.
Why does Canada need
I hope to read in his next
the Lockheed Martin F-35
issue of The Conversation
stealth fighter jet? These
about how his party has
are first-strike weapons
saved us billions by underdesigned to knock out
funding government
an enemy’s air-defense
ministries and decimating
capability.
support for Canadian
Who is the enemy
humanitarian agencies,
we going to use this
MP Russ Hiebert
along with other effective
against? Who do we plan
under fire
cost-cutting measures that
to impress with the jets’
help to reduce the deficit.
shock-and-awe capability?
Great job, Conservatives! Thanks
The cost of this could grow to $30
to your fiscal responsibility, Canada billion dollars when maintenance
can now spare $16 billion to buy
costs are factored in. This is an
F-35 fighter jets and be prepared for obscene amount of money to spend
the next war after Afghanistan.
on a single military weapon.
Larry Colero, White Rock
This was a no bid contract. If
Editor’s note: Letter-writer Larry
this is the best jet for the job,
Colero identified himself as the Green let Lockheed Martin prove it by
party candidate in Hiebert’s riding.
testing it in a real-world testing

environment.
Right now, a paper study was
done to determine its suitability. A
paper study only proves what the
government wants it to prove.
With all the social spending
cutbacks the country has endured
over the last 15 years, is this the way
a “peace-keeping” nation wants to
spend our precious tax dollars?
Phil Harrison, Surrey
Q
Re: Hiebert fixed the problem, Nov.
5 letters.
MP Russ Hiebert (South SurreyWhite Rock-Cloverdale) should
have been intelligent enough not to
do it in the first place.
It is only because he has been
discovered that he change his tune.
Not a good MP at all.
Gisele Battle, Surrey

“
“

quote
of note

`

I have quietly
and emotionally
accepted my fate of
being turned into a
villain by my peers
and have been
outcast within our
community.a
Carol Berner

Music came
at a price
Editor:
We felt like we were shanghaied!
We bought tickets for a “Celtic
revival” at Gracepoint Church Oct.
29, knowing it was sponsored by
Childcare Canada.
We, however, did not understand
we would be preached at by the
lead singer of the band on “hell and
damnation,” or be given donation
forms and a lengthy presentation
on how to fill it out to donate to
build homes in Mexico, with people
with baskets at the rear of the room
waiting to scoop the money.
At $25 per person at a local venue,
I expected a lovely Celtic/Eastern
Canada production and feel I was
fleeced. Never again!
Kathleen McMahon, Surrey

Conservative
criticisms
Editor:
Re: Hiebert’s family travel costs
less now, Oct. 29.
How is it that after our Member
of Parliament, Russ Hiebert (South
Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale), had
been taken to task by us the citizens
for his notoriously atrociously high
expenses, we are once again being
inundated with his propaganda via
The Conversation newspaper?
A publication that has next to
nothing in meaningful content
– your paper does a much better
and a highly commendable job
on reporting on his activities and
record than he does – and which,
from what I’ve seen, is little read, as
so many of the copies end up in the
blue bins as quickly as they arrive.
David P. Williams, White Rock
Q
I read in MP Russ Hiebert’s flyer
this week he reduced his operating
costs over the last fiscal year.
I wonder how much he
saved on travel last year when
the Conservatives prorogued
Parliament. Most people reduce

Contributed photo

Four-year-old Alexa Middelaer was killed May 17, 2008, when she was hit by a car driven by Carol Berner (below).

I hope I can earn their forgiveness
The day after Carol Berner apologized to the family of
four-year-old Alexa Middelaer at Monday’s sentencing
hearing for impaired driving causing death, Berner’s
niece, Kendra Voth, issued the following statement:
Editor:
I am the niece of Carol Berner and wanted to release
Carol’s official remorse letter to the public.
Carol has been silently mourning for so long and
hopes to find a way to make a difference in the
community by sharing her experience.
Here are the heart-wrenching words spoken by Carol,
as she tried to hold herself together while reading her
statement in court yesterday.
She spiraled into a very severe panic attack to the
point of seizing, once she finished addressing Alexa’s
family. It’s shameful to think that this woman is not
living in anguish daily having to live with the horrific
consequences of her actions.
The Middelaers may not ever be ready to give
forgiveness, and Carol is willing to spend the rest of her
life trying to earn it, as said in her letter.
Kendra Voth, Vancouver
Monday, Nov. 8 – After all this time of silently grieving
for your family and for what has happened, I stand before
you finally able to speak. I have been living in torment
all this time, not being able to reach out and express my
deepest emotions to your family.
As a mother, I can’t fathom the anguish that you all
must feel every day, and knowing that I am responsible
for the death of your precious little girl and the life-long
injuries that Daphne will endure is something that I will
live with for the rest of my life.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of
Alexa and how intensely she must be missed. If there
was anything I could do or say to take away your pain, I
would. I wish I could change what happened that day, but

all I can do is take responsibility for my actions and make
changes within myself and try and make a difference.
I will share my story endlessly and publicly, in hopes to
prevent someone else from making the same mistakes I
made. If I can prevent just one person from getting behind
the wheel of a car, I know I am making a difference.
I hope to have the opportunity to help
rebuild value in our community and
heal the devastation I have caused.
I will never get behind the wheel of
another car for the rest of my life and
since have stopped drinking entirely. I
recently have found God and try to find
peace and keep faith that I can find the
strength to get through every day.
Emotionally, I don’t know how to cope
with the agony I feel every day. I am
haunted by nightmares and suffer from
severe anxiety attacks that leave me
feeling vulnerable and out of control of my state of mind.
The effects of my actions are serious and have not gone
without punishment. I have quietly and emotionally
accepted my fate of being turned into a villain by my
peers and have been outcast within our community. The
consequences of my choices have affected my ability to ever
live a normal life. But nothing is a harsher punishment
than knowing I caused this senseless heartbreak and pain.
In understanding the severity of this situation, I know
I can’t just ask for forgiveness, that I have to earn it, and
going to jail will not give me the opportunity to do so. I
am so desperately sorry for what the Middelaer family is
going through. I am just an ordinary, good, hard-working
member of our community who made a terrible mistake.
I hope one day I can earn the Middelaers’ forgiveness
and that they can truly start to heal.
Carol Berner

write:
200 - 2411 160 Street,
Surrey, B.C.
V3S 0C8

fax:
604.531.7977

e-mail:
editorial@
peacearchnews.com

questions?
604.531.1711

Submissions will
be edited for clarity,
brevity, legality
and taste.

10

Peace Arch News Friday, November 12, 2010

news

Seniors Health and Wellness
Breakfast Series

Mustang getting ready for permanent home

Pets get second chance
Hannah Sutherland
Staff Reporter

A dog deemed vicious and
seized by White Rock bylaw
officers – after he was left to
fend for himself on a vacated
Buena Vista property two
months ago – is now in foster
care and being groomed for a
permanent home.
Mustang, who has been
described as a pit bull-cross, is
currently staying with a family
that has two other dogs and a
cat, and is said to be doing well.
“He’s a little fearful of other
dogs because he hasn’t had
much exposure to them; he’s not
aggressive towards them,” said
the owner of the animal rescue
society currently dealing with
Mustang.
Contributed photo
The woman requested not to
Mustang, a pit bull-cross, is
be identified, for fear the dog’s
preparing to be placed in a
previous owner learns of his
whereabouts. Mustang previously permanent home.
lived on a property in the 14900- dog.
block of Buena Vista Avenue,
Further complicating the issue,
where police seized 350 pot
PAN received an email from
plants last August. Police said
a writer – who claimed to be
at the time they
Bentley’s owner –
believed one or both
❝He’s healthy, he’s expressing distress
men facing charges
very happy… He’s that the rabbit was
were living at the
taken, and a man
property in question. going to be adopted claiming to be
into a home that’s Mustang’s owner
A rabbit, Bentley,
also appeared to be
going to treat him as reportedly visited a
abandoned at the
a family member.❞ kennel the dog was
vacated property
temporarily kept
when White Rock
at in an attempt to
resident Ruth Carrier found him
have him released.
caged beneath the porch.
The rescue organization
Carrier – who tried to find
owner said Mustang is “highly
homes for both pets – said she
traumatized” by his former
had interacted with Mustang
treatment. She said he has
over the last two years during her separation anxiety, and doesn’t
walks past the property,
and noticed he was
usually leashed outside
with little or no water.
While Bentley was
picked up and taken
in by a South Surrey
resident who read about
the two homeless pets
in the Peace Arch News,
Mustang’s fate wasn’t as
clear.
Bylaw site supervisor
BJ Wyman said he didn’t
want to euthanize the
dog – despite the 10-day
impound period expiring
– but another PAN reader
said Mustang should be
put down because he
viciously attacked her

like being left alone.
“This is what being chained
up for years does to a dog. He’s
suffered emotional trauma at
the hands of his owners,” she
said. “We’re trying to get him
to the point where he can be
comfortable to be left alone in a
house.”
Once Mustang reaches that
stage, he will be placed in a
permanent home, she said.
“He’s healthy, he’s very happy,
he’s never going to be chained
again. He’s going to be adopted
into a home that’s going to treat
him as a family member… as
every dog should be.
“He will never be treated that
way again.”
Wyman said he is happy with
how everything turned out for
Mustang.
“As far as I was concerned, he
was a good-looking dog and an
intelligent dog,” he said. “He just
didn’t have a very good start in
life, that’s the problem.
“This dog showed me he has
something in him.”
Bentley is doing “great,”
according to his new owner, who
said he lives in a fenced-in area
on a South Surrey farm where
the family’s two daughters brush
and hold him.
Bentley has also greatly
benefited from the leftovers of
this year’s garden, she said, and
is enjoying a diet of carrots,
zucchini and other veggies.
“We’re really happy to have him
and it’s really thanks to the story
that we’ve had him come to live
with us,” she said. “My girls are
just thrilled.”

PART 1 OF 3 - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2010
Do you have questions about the next stage of your life or are
you interested in learning more about services in South Surrey/
White Rock that are available to your parents or grandparents?
This free breakfast event (hosted by Sources Community
Resource Centers) will feature speakers,
giveaways and local community resources on the
“Transition to becoming an older adult”
Speakers include representatives from:
Fraser Health, Sources Community Resource
Centers, Come Share Seniors
Support Programs, Nurse Next Door

Parcel Identiﬁer: 028-291-051
That part of Section 4 Township 9 New Westminster District Shown
as Parcel B on Plan BCP45654.

Friday and Saturday

Property Description:
The subject City owned properties are surplus to the City’s requirements and
are each being sold to the adjoining owner, S & R Sawmills Ltd. Each of the sites
is vacant land zoned IL (Light Industrial).

Further information can be obtained from the City of Surrey, Realty Services
Division, Engineering Department, 14245 - 56 Avenue, Surrey, BC V3X 3A2.
Phone (604) 598 5722.
THIS ADVERTISEMENT IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC DISCLOSURE ONLY,
NOT SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER

www.surrey.ca

Friday, November 12, 2010 Peace Arch News

11

perspectives
…on the Semiahmoo Peninsula

Contributed photos

Students forging global friendships
Jayne Alexander, Robert Ingram,
Blake Baumeister and Kelli
Sturkenboom are preparing for a
three-week trip to Taiwan. Above,
they carve pumpkins and check
out the local sights with their
Taiwanese visitors last month.

Hannah Sutherland

F

Staff Reporter

or four Taiwanese students
staying on the Peninsula
last month, there were some
lifestyle changes that took getting
used to.
The houses were much larger
than the small apartments and
condos in China – where numerous family members dwell – and
the food wasn’t always hot.
The experience was a lesson in
culture, but also an opportunity
for the visitors to practise their language skills in an English-speaking
environment.
They each stayed with an Elgin
student, who, in turn, will visit the
Shu Zen College of Medicine and
Management in Taiwan for three
weeks this December.
“I think this program is very helpful for us. I think it can change my
future,” Marcel Lee told Peace Arch
News before the students returned
to China a few weeks ago.
He said travelling to Canada
opened his eyes to the way things
are back home.
“I see a lot of things differently
in Taiwan.”
The exchange program is offered
annually at Elgin by South Surrey
couple May and Tsai-Ching Lin,
whose family owns the Shu Zen
school.
“We just want them to have the
opportunity to experience a different culture, to stay with a Canadian
family, to experience a different
life,” May Lin said, noting they first
created the opportunity six years
ago when their daughter, Elgin
grad Victoria, was in Grade 11.
This year’s four exchange students arrived last month and, for
three weeks, attended classes at
Elgin, such as English, woodwork
and foods.
“It’s a great experience to learn
English and stay with a local family (and) experience life,” Kenny
Chiou, 18, said.
Sixteen-year-old Angelu Su, who
is studying dentistry at Shu Zen
College, said it was beneficial to get
a taste of another culture.
“I’ve never left Taiwan and I think
it’s a very good experience for me.”
Four Grade 12 Elgin students
are now preparing for their Dec.
10 trip to Taiwan, where they will
reunite with the Chinese students

Brian Giebelhaus photo

they hosted.
The Lins sponsor the travellers,
who only cover food costs and
spending money. They will stay
in college dorms during the week,
and the homes of Chinese residents on weekends.
“I applied because I thought it
would be interesting to see how

things are done on the other side of
the world,” Blake Baumeister said.
Kelli Sturkenboom said the local
students will study Mandarin, go
on field trips, learn Chinese calligraphy and teach host students
English.
“It’s a good way to challenge
yourself.”

Jayne Alexander agreed, saying
it’s also a good travel experience.
“I like getting pushed out of my
comfort zone; I like going in a
small group, with no parents and
no one to guide you around,” she
said. “I know a lot of kids are kind
of scared off by the idea of missing Christmas… (but) once you’ve

been away and travelled, you realize what an amazing chance this is
and we’re so lucky to have it here.”
For Robert Ingram, who is half
Chinese and has attempted to learn
the language twice before, the trip
is a chance to explore his heritage.
“I’m really interested in learning
the culture.”
And taking in a new culture is a
large focus of the program, May
Lin said, seeing as three weeks isn’t
a realistic amount of time to learn
a language.
For those interested in a more
comprehensive study of Mandarin,
the Lins offer a one-year program
at Shu Zen College for four to six
people graduating high school or
entering post secondary.
There is currently an Elgin student in the placement, who left in
September and will return home
in June.
Earl Marriott grad Björn Jivung,
19, took the extended program
last year, and said he could speak
Mandarin conversationally within
four months.
“It’s a great opportunity to learn
Chinese, especially today, when it’s
growing so much.”
Jivung said he plans to use the
skill with his father’s business,
which works closely with China.
May Lin said another goal of the
program is to help Peninsula students gain an appreciation of their
home country.
“When you come back (to Canada), you appreciate, you are so
lucky you live here. That’s what
we want the Canadian students
to see.”
The opportunity is also meant to
foster a relationship between youth
from opposite sides of the world,
Tsai-Ching Lin added.
“We bring them together and
they can bring more understanding to each other and they can
respect each other,” he said.
“If we start at a young age, they
have an opportunity to (appreciate) different people.”

12

Peace Arch News Friday, November 12, 2010

lifestyles

BRING IN GOLD...

...LEAVE WITH CASH!
Brian Giebelhaus photo

Wet walk

Rainy fall weather was not enough to deter a pair of brave tourists, who hid under umbrellas during a
walk to the end of the White Rock Pier earlier this month.

We turn
tu your

Domestic violence plan drafted
Kevin Diakiw
Black Press

More help for victims
of domestic violence
is on the way as local
organizations work to
identify and fill some of
the service gaps.
About 150 service
providers met at
Kwantlen Polytechnic
University Tuesday
to draft a plan to
better tackle domestic
violence in Surrey.
Organizations â&#x20AC;&#x201C;
including the Justice
Education Society,
Kwantlen Polytechnic
University, Surrey
Crime Prevention
and the Surrey RCMP

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; met in June 2009,
and again in January
last year, to organize
the best approach to
stopping the violence.
One of the gaps
already identified is
education.
Surrey Coun.
Barinder Rasode, who
is helping facilitate
the forum, expects a
program to be launched
in Surrey schools to
better educate children

about domestic
violence.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Education and
prevention is a key
theme, along with
better networking and
improved collaboration
between service
providers,â&#x20AC;? she said.
The importance of
educating children,
she said, is that they
are impacted now,
and likely to carry the
problematic behaviours

4BWJOH
JTUIF

new
sexy.

of their parents.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;With domestic
violence, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proven
there is a bit of a cycle,â&#x20AC;?
Rasode said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At this
point itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not going to
be ambitious, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going
to be baby steps.â&#x20AC;?
Rasode said response
was even bigger than
planners expected.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;We actually
unfortunately had to
turn people away,â&#x20AC;?
Rasode said.